Your experience with sharing tables at Biergarten?

[doodlesmommy]

I think if they had a room full of seperate tables it would take away from the Biergarten theme that it is modeled after. If you go to any casual Biergarten or restaurant in Germany you share a long fest table with fellow diners. We lived in Germany for many years and learned so much from others by sharing dinner. I guess if you're shy it might feel awkward. The food, beer and entertainment are so much fun you almost forget that the people around you are strangers. We love this place!

 

[micksterlee]

Iloved the food at this place but not the seating arragement. I am pretty private and go to a restaurant to eat not visit so it felt awkward.The first thing that happened after we got our food was the 4 year old with the family seated at our table dumped a drink which of course went everywhere and the dad started to freak.He was yelling at the kid and trying to catch the mess with napkins and proceeded to knock over a beer which just added to the fun.They apologized we all finished our meals in silence and left.

 

[NMW]

This is just about the only restaurant in the World Showcase we have not eaten at and it's because of this reason. I have no interest in sitting with stangers while I'm eating. I'm sure most people would be fine, but I think it would be a total gamble. I'd hate to spend a a meal feeling uncomfortable or knowing that my kids were uncomfortable.

 

[wendy46001]

We normally have fun, but guess we are the drinkers ...as in its our stop in drinking around the world...(but we start in Mexico)...we are a party of five or six so we normally end up with just one other couple....

Last trip we sat with a mom and her two kids....i think mom was very happy to have some adults to chat with....her kids were so sweet...they got up and danced together way to cute...

Honestly I wouldn’t care if someone kept to themselves…and single dinners are always welcome to chat….We also normally see our fellow dinners a few more times during the day

 

[kimbac3]

We don't mind at all - and I usually hate eating with other people. We are a family of 5 and we have been twice. The first time we had 3 lovely older folks. They were warm and engaging. The second time we had 3 college age guys and I thought for sure they'd be fun but they didn't say a word to us the whole time

Either way the food is great and the atmosphere is awesome!!

Kimba

 

[SandrainNC]

We were there this past November. There was 7 of us and we heard the couple who was supposed to sit with us ask the CM at the before we were seated if they could get a table without kids. I mean, this is Disney World after all. Big chance of having to share a table with children. So they weren't too happy about sharing with us. The woman talked a little bit but the man wouldn't even look our way. This was one of the restaurants that my little ones were most behaved in too. Oh well.


Sandra

 

[Mom2JoeyandBen]

We went in Aug for the first time and I was a little nervous about sharing a table with strangers and having them have to deal with my 2 kids who might behave at the table or might not. However before we went I read about how nice people usually were and how friendly so I agreed to eat there. When we checked in we had to wait for our table. There was a party of 2 who also checked in after us. I happened to overhear them say that they wanted to sit alone and didn't want to sit with kids. I said to my DH that there was a couple who wouldn't want to sit with us...well guess who sat with us? They didn't talk to us, look at us, or acknowledge us. Which is ok, but since I overheard them I was uncomfortable. I wish we would have had a nice elderly couple who would have liked us and our 2 kids. Oh well. The food wasn't that great so we won't be going there again for awhile.

 

[momof3littlelilos]

We're a big group with kids (see my sig) And twice have been seated with a couple who were non too thrilled to be at table as chaotic as ours is...I don't blame them...If DH and I were travelling without kids I wouldn't want to be with a group like ours either...
I think the CMs should make more of an effort to place adults only groups with other adults.
It's no fun for either group when childfree groups get placed with wild mixed age family groups.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

We're a big group with kids (see my sig) And twice have been seated with a couple who were non too thrilled to be at table as chaotic as ours is...I don't blame them...If DH and I were travelling without kids I wouldn't want to be with a group like ours either...
I think the CMs should make more of an effort to place adults only groups with other adults.
It's no fun for either group when childfree groups get placed with wild mixed age family groups.

ITA!

 

[TiggerDad3]

This is one of our regular dining visits during our trips. We love the atmosphere, the food is good (I always fill up on the spatzel & wine sauce... YummY!), and the service has always been great! When we have been there as a couple, we have always been seated with other couples. One time while there with the kids our server pulled his wallet out and gave each of the kids some german coins, this made thier day!
Back to the subject... We are from Indiana and there are people walking around WDW all day long from all over the world, and we hardly ever interact with them, so this experience for us, is one we enjoy very much!

 

[PoohsGang]

My husband & I have been there a few timrs. First time we sat with people who just kept to them selves, the second time we sat with people who were very nice & talkative, this last time we sat with one couple whose husband was an idiot, he called me a Yankee He thought he was Mr Trivia. So you never know who your going to get. I don't mind meeting new people but sometimes I like to sit by ourselves so I don't have to tolerate the person like I had the last time.

 

[crisi]

The first time I was at Beirgarten I was in high school. We were seated with an older couple - turns out the gentlemen had just retired from the same firm my Dad had left about six years before. They knew all the same people and my Dad was able to catch up on what had happed to his old bosses and the company.

Last time we went we went for my husband's aunt, who had German exchange students and travelled a lot in Germany. She was delighted when we were seated and our tablemates were actual Germans. She was very happy chatting to them, and them to her (I had little kids at a buffet, I wasn't chatting with anyone).

 

[princessofcandles]

Too funny. I don't think I even realized it was communal seating but I guess that makes sense. I have only been one time and we were a large party so we filled the table. I don't mind communal seating as long as I am aware of it. Its one thing to sit family style with random families. Its another to have your table tooooo close to the next so the business can make extra bucks.

I can't wait to go back! Hubby's family is German (like three gen from Germany or something) and daddy was stationed there in the Army so we end up looking for German food a lot. This was like American German food which works for me cuz it usually means more cheese and bread! Whoohoo. oooohhhhh and I forgot my two favorite words used in Biergarten...... Pretzel Bread!

I am so excited to go back, especially after reading this thread. My little family and I are going near Valentines day. Hehehe.... I got ADRs for us to have lunch. That would be me, hubby, DD (2 1/2), and DS (1). Some couple trying to have a romantic meal is gonna be steammmmed! My kids are well behaved because we go out to eat a lot and they're use to it. But my DD has a booty that doesn't quit so she will be dancing up a storm. As well she should right? I am super friendly to friendly people so I don't anticipate a problem but lets hope the CMs get it right and give us kid friendly tablemates.

Now... deciding if I should tell DH before the trip or surprise him? hehehe.

 

[joeatdisney2008]

I have never been there but I feel it may be fun to be there and I would have a blast..

 

[Lmichele]

We've never gone just for that reason. DH and I really don't like sharing tables- we don't even really like it at the Teppen Edo/.

Yep, that's DH and I as well. I'm a very outgoing person....talk to people I don't know all the time, but when it comes to dinner I want to enjoy it with people I know.

 

[danielle.st]

I completely loved sharing a table. The people we shared a table with were very nice and it was really great talking to them. We spent longer in this meal than at any other meal because we were enjoying ourselves so much. It was great!

 

[3boys4me]

Originally I did not like the idea of sharing a table with strangers but the family that we were seated with could not have been any nicer. They were very sweet and full of Disney knowledge. Loved it.

 

[myrtlepmur]

Is there a proper etiiquette for how parties should be seated at the Biergarten. I do with my 80 year old mother who has difficulty hearing conversation in the loud setting. It is easier if I am seated next to her and can help her if she is having trouble hearing. On one visit another couple got very upset with us because they wanted to sit across from each other and not next to each other. What's your vote across from each other or next to each other for a party of 2.

 

[si-am]

The thing about Germans is that they're not necessarily the friendliest or most social of people. When they share tables, from what I understand (and I am half German, so I can say this) they don't feel obligated to talk.

Bring the shared tables to America, though, and it can be awkward because we feel the need to make friends with our tablemates.

I have never had a great experience at Biergarten. I don't really like talking to strangers, and we always end up sitting with people who don't seem to approve of our ordering beer for lunch. I hate it.

It is still one of my favorite restaurants, though, because the food and atmosphere are great!

 

[jessily]

I am fairly shy and was a little nervous about it. The waitress took my boyfriend and I to a table where a family of 6 was already getting their order taken. They looked a little shocked when we sat down with them! Once they realized what was going on though, we all got to talking and ended up having a wonderful meal. Their 2 children went out to dance and run around and the 6 of us just chatted about our trips and our hometowns. They had already been on vacation for a week and said it was refreshing to talk to someone else for a change We will be returning in January and hope we are just as lucky!